A woman who allegedly kicked at a policewoman during a drunken episode in Paceville was granted bail upon her arraignment on Wednesday. 

Saida Agius Idy, 42, from St Paul’s Bay, was charged with violently resisting arrest, insulting a police officer, slightly injuring a policewoman, breaching the peace and disobeying police orders. 

She was further charged with the unlicensed possession of a knife, which was not used in the incident and which the woman claimed to have used “to eat an apple”.

Prosecuting Inspector Leeroy Balzan Engerer explained that the woman, evidently under the influence of drink, had been detained after an incident at a Paceville club.

As she was being accompanied to a nearby police station in a police van, she lost her balance and was steadied by a female officer.

However, upon sensing the officer’s hand on her, the woman had kicked out at the policewoman, slightly injuring her leg, the court heard.

Defence lawyer Arthur Azzopardi explained that at the time, the woman had been so drunk that she barely recalled the incident.

“She was under the influence of alcohol at the time. It’s a Dr Jekyll and Mrs, Hyde case,” said the lawyer, adding that the woman needed help to address her alcohol problem.

A request for bail was put forward, with Dr Azzopardi arguing that the incident had been caught on CCTV and that the only witnesses were public officers. 

Inspector Balzan Engerer rebutted that the woman’s statement did not tally with the CCTV footage. “I don't want to give the impression that it's ok to assault a police officer,” said the prosecutor, adding that the woman had not calmed down when handcuffed in the police van.

After hearing submissions by both parties, the court, presided over by magistrate Victor George Axiaq, upheld the request for bail against a deposit of €1,000, a personal guarantee of €4,000, an order to sign the bail book twice a week and to abide by a curfew. 

The court further issued a protection order in favour of the victim.